The ‘gold standard’ resource assessment campaign, undertaken at a unique solar-plus-storage project in Puerto Rico, combines best-in-class satellite data from Solargis with the highest quality on-site measurements from GroundWork. Bringing together these two data sources has not only enabled Convergent to enhance its financial modeling and risk management for the project, but also sets the benchmark for resource evaluation in tropical regions worldwide.
For nuanced, hybrid projects under development in tropical regions, a clear understanding of the solar resource is essential for informing robust project design and navigating regional variability to model future financial performance. This navigation is particularly needed in regions where the tropical climate introduces transient weather patterns that cause significant resource fluctuations.
These changes occur at frequencies that aren’t adequately captured by low-frequency historical satellite data and lack supportive data from ground-based measurements.
For its Puerto Rico solar-plus-storage system, Convergent needed a way to undertake a highly site-specific resource assessment, coupling high-resolution satellite data and reliable on-site measurements.
As part of the project, Solargis worked with Groundwork to generate high-resolution satellite-based synthetic data at one-minute intervals by correlating satellite data with high-frequency weather and solar irradiance ground measurements. The two companies also ran comprehensive quality control checks on both the satellite and ground-based datasets.
“We need a clear understanding of the solar resource to make informed decisions and successfully model the financial viability of our projects” said Jolyon Dent, VP of Analytics, Convergent. “The services that both Solargis and GroundWork provide are constantly evolving and becoming more important as the demand for reliable solar resource information grows.”
The results of the campaign were used to optimise the PV plant design for grid stability by determining the optimal DC/AC ratio and energy storage characteristics to ensure cost-effectiveness and accurate energy production modeling. Accurate solar resource data is critical due to the need to control the plant's ramp rate using the battery to mitigate rapid rate changes and ensure efficient power output.
“Working in highly variable terrain within certain geographies can lead to significant resource depletion and financial uncertainty” said Marcel Suri, CEO, Solargis. “Developing and operating solar-plus-storage systems in these regions requires reliable resource information to improve risk mitigation. We are proud to have partnered with GroundWork to deliver this innovative solution for Convergent, and we look forward to rolling it out across other projects around the world as the solar-plus-storage market starts to take off.”
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